The Fall Collection
I shop for words
as though the dictionary was a catalog
of women’s clothes or shoes
As though the folded over corners
of favorite words on pages
were the edited alliterations
of hemmed skirts
Browsing for the uncommon
I pin down a suitable meaning
unfold a matching pattern
for a custom-made fit
And if I was a model
and my signature was a label
I’d be zipping down a runway
wearing poetry on my sleeve!
~ Colleen Redman
Post note: The above is one of the poems I read at Saturday Night’s Spoken Word at the Café del Sol (which you can read about HERE). It was written in the fall of ’04.
Comments
I like this one. Speaks to me as a former fashion victim and shopaholic (I've converted to words as a form of self-medication too as it happens).
Posted by: Smiler | October 23, 2007 9:15 AM
The first year I had a blog and traveled somewhere, my husband was surprised that I didn't want to check out the shops. I was too busy taking names and photos. "The blog has cured me of shopping!" I told him.
Posted by: colleen | October 23, 2007 9:19 AM
I enjoyed it at Spoken Word...and I enjoy it now. You paint pictures with your words.
Posted by: June | October 23, 2007 9:44 AM
made me smile - always a good beginnning to a difficult day .. sk
Posted by: sandykessler | October 23, 2007 10:19 AM
Wonderful poem!
I'm adding you to my links at blogger.com. On a side note, I see you were raised in Hull. I lived in Boston in the seventies and from about 1975 to 1977 I moored my 22 foot sailboat right down in the hook at the tip of Hull. I hear it's building up now and the old clapboard houses are being torn down for rich folks' homes. Too bad. It was so charming then.
Posted by: Pris | October 23, 2007 12:15 PM
The dictionary is my favorite "catalog" too (along with the thesaurus). And no credit card required!
Great poem, Colleen.
Posted by: Beth | October 23, 2007 2:07 PM
wonderful poem, as usual, colleen! your such a gifted analogist ( is that a word? ) :)
Posted by: bluemountainmama | October 23, 2007 2:11 PM
You do paint pictures with your words...June is right. And I can relate to designer labels so I really like this one!
Posted by: Deana | October 23, 2007 3:52 PM
Shopping for words ... lovely. :-)
Posted by: Seamus | October 23, 2007 4:12 PM
Great Poem as usual. xo
Posted by: Sherry | October 23, 2007 5:36 PM
Collen you seem to be more technical than I . How can I comment or even change my site address without it being all over the internet?
Posted by: sandykessler | October 23, 2007 10:31 PM
I love the shopping metaphor and especially the last line!
Posted by: Ruth | October 28, 2007 8:45 AM